Instructing Generosity

[Reimagine Curator]

Instructing Generosity Written by Dynamis Ministries

The Star Wars saga is a classic tale of good vs. evil that has captivated followers for the past 40 years. Among all the subplots and spinoffs, one thread that is crucial to the story is the relationship between the wise mentor Yoda and his mentee, Luke Skywalker. Yoda trains Luke to become the leader and warrior he was destined to be in order to help defeat the Evil Empire. Along this journey, Yoda imparts several words of wisdom from, “The greatest teacher, failure is,” to “Do or do not. There is no try.”   Whether it’s in movies, stories or real life, one responsibility leaders have is to pass on wisdom and instructions to their proteges. This model is even seen in the Bible. At the end of the book of 1 Timothy, Paul gives the final instructions to his successor, Timothy, to encourage him in his ministry. Like Yoda to Luke Skywalker, Paul is trying to give Timothy nuggets of wisdom that will stick with him as he grows into his own leadership role. However, his imparting wisdom may come as a bit of a surprise. Check out what Paul chooses to say:   “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18).   Did you catch it? Of all the things Paul wants to impart to Timothy, one of them is to instruct others to be generous. This is because generosity is instrumental to not only spreading the gospel but to human flourishing in general. One reason why the Gospel message has continued to spread throughout the world over the last two millennium is because of generosity. The generosity of believers has sustained churches in communities across the globe, it has supported missionaries to preach the Good News to remote villages and it has touched people with the real love of God in personal and profound ways. Without generosity, the Gospel would die. Without generosity, we would have nobody helping the poor, feeding the hungry or taking care of the sick. Can you imagine living in a world like this where generosity does not exist?   Maybe you’ve never thought about how integral generosity actually is in our world and in our lives. Maybe you’ve never considered how important it is to heed Paul’s instructions to command others to be generous. As we grow in our own generosity, let’s not neglect the importance of imparting this trait on to others as well. In doing so, we will not only do good and spread the Kingdom of God in the present but also ensure it continues into the future.